Improvement in tourniquets



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB DUNTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOU PtNlQUETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,156, `dated December 16, 1862.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB DUNToN, of theI city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Tourniquet for Surgeons Use and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the said instrument, and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in both views.

The subject of the saidinvention is ay tourniquet adapted to arrest arterial circulation without obstructing the veins, and adjustable vto suit limbs of any size.

The invention particularly consists in a certain construction and combination of parts for adjusting the size of the instrument and the position of the pads, as hereinafter explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the present illustration of the invention, A A represent a pair of steel plates or bars slotted longitudinally, and adapted to be elongated or contracted to any desired length, as hcreinfter explained. B is a third slotted plate secured adjustably above the plates A by means of screws O D and a clampnut, E. F is a pad attached to the plate B by screws or rivets. The said pad may receive the screws C D, by which it and the plate B are secured to the plates A. The pad F may be formed chieiiy of wood with a metal back and a convex face covered with chamois or other soft leather. G g are straps attached to the opposite ends ot' the plates A, one of which straps is provided with a buckle, H.

The above parts constitute the lower member of the tourniquet. The corresponding parts A', O', D', E', F', G', g', and H', of the upper member may be constructed in a similar manner to those already described; but the upper pad, F',is bypreference (as in the present illustration) swiveled upon the end of a thumbscrew, I, which is threaded in the plate B', secured adjustably to the plates A by the screws C' D' and nut E'.

The manner of using the instrument is as follows: The upper strap, G', is placed in the lower buckle, H, and the lower strap, G, in the upper buckle, H', as shown in the drawings. The clamp-nuts E E' beingloosened, the plates A and A' are adjusted to a length to suit the limb to be operated on and the pads F F to their proper positions. This adjustment effected, the clamp-nuts E E' are tightened up to secure the parts in position. The

vinstrument is then placed over thelimb with the pad F' over the artery which is to be stopped, and the pads are compressed upon the limb by tightening of the straps G G'. The circulation may be arrested in this way or by further pressure effected by turning down the thumb-screw I, which carries the pad F. An artery may thus be eifectually stopped without any pressure upon other parts of the limb, excepting the necessary counterpressure of the lower pad, F.

It will be seen that the same instrument may be adapted for use upon either arm or leg and upon limbs of any size.

Its operation is of the most effective character, and at the same time as free as possible from any injurious oppression'.

1 do not claim adjusting the width or spread of a tourniquet, as that has before been known; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isV

The combination of the adjustable slotted plates A A A' A', pads F F', and straps G G', as set forth.

JACOB DUNTON.

Witnesses:

FREDK. A. VAN CLEvE, WM. C. GHAPIN. 

